Improvement in spinning-mules



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM C. DAVOL, OF FALL RIVER, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN SPINNING-MULES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 54,699, dated May 15,1866.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known `that I, WILLIAM C. DAVOL, of Fall River, in the county ofBristol and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Spinning- Mules, the machine here in part represented,

and to which my invention is applied, being known as the Sharp StRoberts Self-Acting Mule for Spinning Cotton or other Fibrous Substances5 and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription of the construction and operation of the same, referencebeing had to the annexed drawings, making part of this specification, inwhich- Figure l is a plan or top view. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of thehead-stock of the Inule containing the cam-shaft with my new combinationof mechanism for turning the same. Figs. 3, 4, and 5 represent certainparts in detail, which will be hereinafter described.

In each of these figures like parts are desi gnated by the same lettersor gures.

The nature of my invention consists, among other things, in an improvedmode of turning and operating the cani-shaft of mules. In addition tothe ordinary escape-plate on that shaft, l use a second escape-plate,which acts in connection with a fixed stud, and combine these parts witha system of geared wheels, a clutch-box, the usual escape-leverstop-finger and its plate, and a helper-spring for the purpose ofoperating the cam-shaft. These several parts are arranged and combinedto operate together for turning the cam-shaft onequarter of a revolutionat intervals, in order to put the different parts of the mule into andout of gear.

To enable those skilled in the art to fully understand and construct myinvention, I will proceed to describe it with its immediate connectedparts. That part of the mule-head which lies to the left of thestop-finger 14 in Figs. l and 2 is only represented to show theconnection, but my improvement is found only in that part which lies tothe riglitof the stop-linger. The parts of said gures to the left ofsaid stop-linger are therefore to be considered surplusage, and notnecessary to the illustration of my invention.

In Figs. 1 and 2, A is a fast, andB a loose, pulley on the shaft O,which is commonly called the rim-shaft.7 From this shaft motion iscommunicated to the respective parts ofthe apparatus by suitablegearing.

In Fig. 2, D is a strap connected with apulley `from a counter-,shaft ofthe mill for driving the mule. This strap is made broad enough topartially cover the loose gearing-pulley B on the shaft O, thus keepingit in motion. On the shaft E, which is called the camshaft/and which isparallel with the rim-shaft C, there are five cams for the purpose ofconnect-ing and disconnecting the different parts of the mule with themain shaft.

The double cams I I and spiral spring J, with adjustable nuts K K, serveto give motion at the proper times to the backing-off wheel. Anothercam, c, puts the front roller clutch-box in and out of gear. The othercams (marked c and h) will not be described, since they are notrepresented in the model.

The escape-wheel p has four escapements, as shown in Fig. 3. Theseescapements are equidistant from the center of the cam-shaft, and arealso arranged at equal distances from each other. The escape-wheelitself is fixed on the movable part of the catch or clutch l?. Duringthe revolution of the shaft, whenever one of the escapements of theWheel p comes in contact with the fixed latch or stud t, (seen in detailin Fig. 5,) the escape-wheel and the movable part of the clutch aremoved endwise on the cam-shaft and the clutch is put out of gear. Byreason of the equal distribution of the escapements on the wheel p', asabove stated, it follows that they will always, at regular intervals ofthe revolution of the said wheel, come in contact with the said latch orstud t. One of the advantages of this construction and arrangement, andof using a xed instead of a movable stud to throw the clutch P out ofgear, is that the movements are thereby effected with greaterpositiveness and accuracy, and the several parts are less liable to getout of order and less liable to displacement, and no devices arerequired to hold .the camshaft from turning while the second twist isbeing put in the, yarn after the mule-carriage has made a stretch,because at that time the clutch is held out of gear by means of the studand the escape-plate p.

The new combination in the arrangement of geared Wheels and clutch-boxwith the escapeplate clutch-box p, combined for turning the cam-shaft E,is as follows: Attached to the hub of the loose pulley B is a`spur-wheel, 30, (shown in Figs. 1 and 2,) that drives the wheel 50,which is keyed to a short shaft, n. On this same shaft is anotherspur-wheel, 13, driving the intermediate Wheel 31, which turns looselyon a stud and gives motion to another intermediate wheel, 32, which alsoturns loosely on a stud and drives the wheel 33. This gear- Wheel 33 hasa catch-box attached firmly to it, which turns loosely on the cam-shaftE when otherwise unacted upon by its counterpart escape-plate 19 andclutch-box P, `which latter is connected with the cam-shaft E by afeather, 3, in the clutch-box, as shown in Fig. 3, which clutch-box isfitted to slide endwise on the cam-shaft in one direction by the forceof the spiral spring s, and in the opposite direction by the riding ofthe inclines of escapementp against the xed latch or stud t through anotchin the disk a, (shown in Fig. 4,) and which is keyed to thecamshaft E inside of the escapement clutch-box, which turns the camshaftE, when put into gear with its loose counterpart 33. The escape-plateand clutchbox p (shown in Figs. 1 and 2) has four escapement inclinesprojecting from the clutchboX side of the plate, and equally distantfrom each other and of equal distance from the center of theescape-plate. It also has a long hub projecting back, surrounded by aspiral spring, S, one end of which presses against the plate and theother end against the adjustable collar r, which is made fast to theshaft E by a setscrew, V.

The -modein which the two escape-plates an d clutch-box combined areoperated upon for turning the cam-shaft E one-quarter of a revolution atintervals, in order to put the different parts of the mule in and out ofgear, is as follows On the back of the rst escape-plate, W, which isfixed to the back end of the can1 shaft E, are four cylindrical pins, x:v a' x, successively acted upon by the helper-spring 2, (shown in Fig.2,) which is placed in such a position with regard to those pins as toturn the cam-shaft E, with the second escape-plate or wheel, p, andclutch-box P, a little way in the direction ot' the arrow in severalinstances in the operation of the machine, namely: first, Whenever theprojection near the end of the escape-lever y is removed by any ordinarymeans, not necessary to bc here stated, from being in contact with anyone of the three projectionsw w tv on the first escape-plate, W,whichprojections are at different distances from the center of theescape-plate W; secondly, Whenever the end of the stop-iin ger 14, thatis fixed to the cam-shaft E, is permitted by the revolution of thestop-plate 15 to pass through the notch in the stop-plate 15, for inthis condition, by

the action of the helper-sprin g 2, (shown in Fig. 2,) the escape-plateand clutch-box P p are turned a little way, thus causing one of the fourwedge-shaped escapements on escapeplate p to be liberated from the fixedlatch t, (partly shown in Fig. 2, also see Fig. 5,) and allows thespiral spring s to force the escapeplate clutch into gear with itscounterpart clutch-box and gear 33, which turns the camshaft E arounduntil another of the wedgeshaped escapements comes in contact with thefixed latch or stud t, which, with the aid of helper-spring 2, forces itout of gear,in which position it is held either by the stop-linger 14,which comes in contact with the face of the stop-plate 15, or by one ofthree projections on the first escape-plate, W, coming against theprojection near the end of the escapelever y, which holds the cam-shaftE fronibeing turned until either the stop-plate 15 or the escape-lever yis removed by the operation of the mule, as occasion requires.

I disclaim the invention claimed by H. S. Bartlett in his patent datedApril 12, 1864.

I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. The escapewheel or plate p on the clutch P, constructed and operated substantiallyas des'eribed, for the purpose of engaging and disengaging the clutch Pat stated intervals, in combination with the xed stud, the escapeplateWV, and helper-spring 2, as above set forth.

2. The fixed latch or stud t, in combination with the escapements of theescape-wheel p', substantially as described, for the purpose of movingand holding the escape-plate clutchbox P out ot' gear at intervals.

3. The combination of the escape-Wheel p and the clutch-box P with thestop-linger 14 and stop-plate 15, for turning the cam-shaft E atintervals, substantially as described.

4. The combination of the escape-wheel p and the clutch-box P with theescape-plate WV, escape-lever y, and helper-spring 2, substantially asdescribed.

5. In combination with the escape-plate W, the helper-spring 2, theescape-lever y, the stop-iinger 14, the stop-plate 15, andthe catch orclutch-box P, with its escapenient p', arranged substantially as aboveshown.

The above specification of my invention signed by me this 25th day oi"May, 1865.

WILLIAM C. DAVOL.

Witnesses M. M. LIVINGSTON, (l. L. ToPLIFF.

